Music
25 Apr 24

Festival Special – Fionn Curran: "There's higher energy at festivals... It always feels more intense"

Fionn Curran at Longitude 2023. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

As part of our special feature, Fionn Curran reflects on the magic of festivals...

Fionn Curran

Life Festival was the big one for me – that was the first proper festival I went to. The first time I saw KETTAMA playing was a really special memory that stood out from that. I remember thinking after it: ‘I want to become a DJ.' Longitude was my next festival, probably the same year. I saw The Martinez Brothers at that, which was another really fond memory.

The first festival I played was Life, at one of the smaller stages there. It must have been the one right after Covid. And last year, I closed out the Terminus stage Electric Picnic. That was a weird moment, because it was such a big tent. Playing in front of such a big crowd was just crazy.

There's higher energy at festivals, especially in the daytime. It always feels more intense, so I definitely prefer playing at festivals than in venues.

I’m playing a good few international ones this year. It is different though – because sometimes they're a bit more chill abroad, and Irish crowds are generally pretty high-energy!

Fionn Curran plays Outset Festival, Dublin (May 4 & 5); Live at the Marquee, Cork (June 7); NRG Tenerife Weekender (June 14-16); Sea Sessions, Bundoran (June 22); Outset Festival, Mallorca (July 13); and Emerge, Belfast (August 24 & 25).